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A week ago, the movie Desert Flower based on Waris Dirie’s bestselling autobiographic novel celebrated its premiere during the International Filmfestival in Addis Ababa.

The movie was received very well by the Ethiopian audience (and, in addition to its success in the cinemas, it is also a bestseller on the black market, as Waris reported here.)

The movie has sparked a public debate in Ethiopia, were FGM has been outlawed in 2004 but is still practiced by many tribes and surveys say that up to 74 percent of girls and women are victims of female genital mutilation.

Radio Campaign

A group that is especially difficult to reach are nomads such as the Afar. Due to the regular relocation, attending a school is almost impossible for the nomad children, and school dropouts in the region are high. However, a new approach seems to be taking effect in this remote area of Ethiopia: short radio spots are being broadcasted, educating parents about the dangers of FGM. According to the head mistress of the school in Hamed Ela, these spots are slowly taking an effect. While 100 percent of the girls in the Hamed Ela school are circumcised, the numbers among the younger girls starting school have begun to decrease.

Following the premiere of Desert Flower, Waris Dirie gave a lecture at the University of Addis Ababa, followed by a discussion with Ethiopian students. During the panel discussion, Waris was joined by state minister Nesanet Asfaw, Irish film maker Charlotte Metcalf and Olubukola Arowobusove from African Capacity Building as well as representatives from the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association.

The participants and students engaged in a lively discussion of possible ways of eradicating FGM through legal means of fighting FGM. Students addressed the roles of men and women in the perpetuation of the practice as well as in society in general, and discussed the possibilities of fighting FGM through education.

Waris Dirie’s personal account were an important part of the discussion, and all attendants were especially impressed and stunned by her ability to fight against FGM while at the same time expressing her love and forgiveness for her mother, who many would deem responsible for her suffering.

“I love my mother, my family, and I love Africa. Women are the backbone of Africa and I will fight for them until they get what they deserve!” – Waris Dirie